Surprise Option Seen As Red Sox's 'Best Bet' To Replace Injured Trevor Story

What will the Red Sox do at shortstop with Story expected to miss time?

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have had a great start to the 2024 season, but recently was dealt a heavy blow.

Boston has been one of baseball's best clubs to begin the young season but could lose one of its top players for a long time. Red Sox star shortstop Trevor Story dislocated his shoulder against the Los Angeles Angels and now is awaiting results to see just how much time he will miss.

The Red Sox placed Story on the 10-day Injured List, but it's unclear just how much time he will miss. There's a chance he could be out for just a few weeks, but there's also a possibility he will miss the rest of the season.

If Story were to miss a significant chunk of time, an external replacement could make sense. But, if he isn't out for the rest of the season, they could make do with an internal option. It's uncertain exactly what will happen, but MassLive.com's Sean McAdam surprisingly mentioned Ceddanne Rafaela as the club's "best bet" to replace Story.

"From here, Ceddanne Rafaela looks like the best bet," McAdam said. "Evaluators believe he can be every bit as impactful at short as he’s been in center, with terrific range and a strong, accurate arm.

“We see him as a plus shortstop,” said an evaluator with another MLB team. “He has the arm to play there and the quickness, too. He just has to learn how to stay under control on some routine plays.”

The young speedster has been impressive so far this season for Boston. He won the club's starting center field spot and has been exceptional defensively and has shown flashes offensively. Rafaela is Boston's No. 4 prospect and has provided much-needed stability in the outfield.

While this is the case, he does have experience in the infield as well. He has seen plenty of time at shortstop throughout his professional career in the minor leagues and could help, but then the club would have to address the outfield.

Hopefully, Story gets good news and won't miss much time but no matter what, Boston will have to make a tough decision.

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